My colleague at Born Free Foundation in England, Chris Draper, recently visited SeaWorld Orlando and sent me the following report. It’s too important; I had to share.

I am proud to say that there are currently no captive cetaceans in the UK and proud that the Born Free Foundation was involved in rescuing and releasing some of the UK’s last captive dolphins in 1991.

Orca at SeaWorld–courtesy Born Free USA

However, I wouldn’t have to travel far from my base in southern England to find whales, dolphins, and porpoises in captivity; France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, and many other European countries have captive cetaceans. In fact, there are 33 dolphinaria within the European Union alone.

I thought I was already familiar with the reality of dolphinaria. I had seen the excellent film, Blackfish; I had seen countless photos and videos from dolphin facilities worldwide; I had read heartbreaking reports of the capture of cetaceans from the wild for the dolphinarium industry; and, above all, I had been incensed at the mindless waste of life in captivity. However, I had never visited any of the controversial SeaWorld chain locations.

So, while attending a conference in Florida, and in receipt of a complimentary ticket, I forced myself along to SeaWorld Orlando.

It should come as no surprise that I was not impressed. What was surprising is just how dire, how pointless, how vacuous I found most of SeaWorld to be. continue reading…

Current regulations do not take into account some dramatic improvements over the past several decades in our scientific understanding of the physical and psychological impact of confinement upon these highly intelligent and social animals.

Each week the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) sends out an e-mail alert called Take Action Thursday, which tells subscribers about current actions they can take to help animals. NAVS is a national, not-for-profit educational organization incorporated in the State of Illinois. NAVS promotes greater compassion, respect, and justice for animals through educational programs based on respected ethical and scientific theory and supported by extensive documentation of the cruelty and waste of vivisection. You can register to receive these action alerts and more at the NAVS Web site.

This week’s Take Action Thursday looks at the importance of service animals and how states are legislating to protect the rights of people using these animals and to punish those who harm them. It also provides updates on recent issues concerning whales. continue reading…

Freedom for Orcas from SeaWorld San Diego?

Blackfish, an eye-opening documentary about the devastating consequences of keeping orcas in captivity, premiered a little more than a year ago, and since then, the remarkable outrage and debate it inspired has created waves of blacklash against SeaWorld, from visible protests of the institution to successful pressures that resulted in embarrassing cancellations of scheduled musical performances.

Blackfish DVD cover–image courtesy Animal Blawg.

The ‘Blackfish Effect,’ with its growing momentum, will only continue. But how far will it go, and is real, tangible change for captive orcas achievable in the near future? Maybe yes—there is certainly good reason to hope.

Beyond the loud public outcry, the film has attracted serious attention from one California lawmaker, State Assemblymember Richard Bloom, who earlier this month introduced legislation that would outlaw all killer whale shows in his state—including those at SeaWorld San Diego, which holds 10 captive orcas. The bill, if enacted into law, will also prohibit the import and export of orcas intended for performance or entertainment purposes, and end captive breeding programs. As for the orcas themselves, under the proposed legislation, they “shall be rehabilitated and returned to the wild where possible,” or if that’s not possible, then “transferred and held in a sea pen that is open to the public and not used for performance or entertainment purposes.” The latter provision is necessary because, realistically, most captive orcas at SeaWorld San Diego are not viable candidates for release. continue reading…

Never underestimate the power of media to stimulate positive change. Blackfish, the hit documentary that exposes abuse and exploitation in the captive marine mammal industry, made its television debut in October—and quickly drew the public eye to marine animal suffering at SeaWorld.

SeaWorld’s innocent reputation has been challenged, perhaps never to be fully restored, and public criticism of the marine theme park has spread like wildfire. A once-popular tourist attraction has rapidly gained (well-deserved) infamy.

Born Free USA has actively opposed the use of animals in entertainment for years. But now, leading the charge against SeaWorld’s injustices is not only the usual faction of animal advocacy organizations—but famous stars of the music stage.

"Service Animal" Scammers (New Yorker): An increasing number of your neighbors have been keeping company with their pets in human-only establishments simply by claiming that the creatures are their licensed companion animals and are necessary to their mental well-being.

Why London’s pig café pop-up is a terrible idea for pigs: Teacup pigs are adorable. Unfortunately, they’re also a complete fabrication. But that isn’t stopping a local London specialty breeder and Yelp from putting on an adoption event to educate the public on “proper” micro pig care.